diff --git a/ratbagd/ratbagd.c b/ratbagd/ratbagd.c
index bca3580f..29ddd5bb 100644
--- a/ratbagd/ratbagd.c
+++ b/ratbagd/ratbagd.c
@@ -688,7 +688,7 @@ exit:
 
 	if (r < 0) {
 		errno = -r;
-		log_error("Failed: %m\n");
+		log_error("Failed to start ratbagd: %m\n");
 		return EXIT_FAILURE;
 	}
 
diff --git a/tools/ratbagctl.test.in b/tools/ratbagctl.test.in
index ce6bb521..c396604d 100755
--- a/tools/ratbagctl.test.in
+++ b/tools/ratbagctl.test.in
@@ -503,6 +503,13 @@ def setUpModule():
     ratbagd = ratbagctl.open_ratbagd()
     assert ratbagd is not None
 
+    # if some old version of ratbagd is still running, ratbagd_process may
+    # have never started but our DBus bindings may succeed. Check for the
+    # return code here, this also gives ratbagd enough time to start and
+    # die. If we check immediately we may not have terminated yet.
+    ratbagd_process.poll()
+    assert ratbagd_process.returncode is None
+
     parser = ratbagctl.get_parser()